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Supply chains for many commodities and products are more out of whack today than they were a year ago. This is surprising to those of us who thought that over the course of a year of pandemic life, things would be more sorted out. But here we are today, and a number of items are now harder to get, or at least more expensive. Why?
There are different reasons for different shortages, but a common answer is that COVID-19 and its effects have pushed supply chains past the limits of their flexibility. While the first shortages we felt last spring (toilet paper, hand sanitizer, KN95 masks) were the result of pantry stocking and panic-consumption, many of the shortages of today are a result of lasting imbalances in supply and demand, changing consumer trends, and the fact that it can take years for certain industries to add new capacity.
There are numerous examples. Take, for instance, cardboard. The pandemic has resulted in a boom in ecommerce – according to Internet Retailer, ecommerce sales jumped 43% in 2020, nearly three times the average growth rate of the prior seven years. More ecommerce requires more cardboard boxes for shipping, and the corrugated industry has struggled to keep up. Mills have been running at full capacity, but it takes time to make new boxes. As a result, cardboard prices have surged, and some businesses have recently been forced to switch to plastic packaging. (More on plastics in a bit.)
Another example is semiconductors. At the start of the pandemic, consumer spending plummeted – auto sales were almost cut in half from last February to last April. At the same time, however, sales of electronics boomed as people built out home offices and bought new devices for their children’s remote schooling. Consequently, many semiconductor manufacturers switched from making chips for cars to making chips for electronics. When auto sales recovered, not only was there more demand for semiconductors in total, but less of the industry was making chips for auto manufacturing. Unfortunately, semiconductor factories are incredibly complex, and can take billions of dollars and years to build. A number of auto companies and electronics companies have felt the pinch, including Volkswagen, Fiat Chrysler, Nissan, and Samsung. General Motors, Ford, Honda and Toyota have been forced to cut production due to the shortage of semiconductors.
Another contributing reason for surging prices and shortages in a number of products and materials is the Federal Reserve’s reaction to the pandemic: cutting interest rates to nearly zero. Low interest rates has sparked a surge in real estate prices, home remodeling, and home building. According to the Wall Street Journal, lumber prices have more than doubled and have never been higher, and prices for granite, insulation, concrete blocks and bricks have all hit record highs. As with cardboard and semiconductors, home building materials suppliers just can’t catch up.
Global shipping hasn’t caught up yet either, contributing to issues across many other supply chains. In addition to the shortage of shipping containers in Asia that my colleague Marshall Schleifman wrote about in this space earlier this month, a surge of imports has resulted in a traffic jam at the California ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, resulting in dozens of colossal cargo ships waiting at anchor until space opens, delaying their deliveries.
But changing consumption patterns aren’t the only culprit in this mess; mother nature hasn’t been kind either. Last month’s cold snap and storms in Texas knocked out power to numerous chemical plants and factories in the region, resulting in a doubling (or more) in the prices of the plastics polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC.
Supply chain issues have already lasted much longer than some of us initially anticipated they would at the start of the pandemic and threaten to last still longer. But try to take solace in the big picture. Yes, the supply chain is going to be a mess for longer than expected, but COVID-19 vaccines were developed and made available last year faster than any vaccine in history. I’ll take that tradeoff every day of the week. I just hope the recent shortage of syringes doesn’t prevent me from getting my shots.
Headlines of the Week
Office Depot parent company ODP Corp. rejected Staples’ latest acquisition offer, claiming that the offer “lacked basic deal terms including a purchase price.” Staples has been trying to purchase assets of Office Depot since 2015, when it was thwarted by the FTC. This time around, Amazon’s status as a gargantuan office supply wholesaler theoretically makes it easier for Staples to win antitrust approval, but Staples is finding it hard to reach an agreement with Office Depot. In January, Staples reportedly offered $2.1 billion, and would allow ODP to divest its business-to-business operations to a third-party buyer. A few days later, ODP rejected the offer, and countered with a proposal to merge the two companies’ direct-to-consumer retail operations, leaving Office Depot’s business-to-business operations wholly separate from the transaction. Based on previous developments, though, it’s fair to say that ODP is open to the idea of an acquisition. It just needs to be the right offer. Either way, it doesn’t look like Office Depot’s B2B unit will be included.
Toys “R” Us has a new owner, one that is committed to bring the brand back to brick-and-mortar. WHP Global announced that it has acquired a controlling interest in Tru Kids Inc., parent company to the Toys”R”Us, Babies”R”Us, Geoffrey the Giraffe brands, and more than 20 related consumer toy and baby brands. The brand acquisition and management firm, which also owns the Anne Klein and Joseph Abboud brands, said that, going forward, it will manage the global TRU business and direct its strategic expansion. WHP is led by Yehuda Shmidman, who serves as CEO and chairman. He also has served as vice chairman of TRU since 2019. Tru Kids, which is backed by Solus Alternative Asset Management and funds managed by Ares Management, bought certain intellectual property of Toys “R” Us and intellectual property from after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and went on to liquidate its U.S. stores. Toys”R”Us and Babies”R”Us generate over $2 billion in global retail sales annually through nearly 900 branded stores and e-commerce sites in over 25 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East.
Apparel & Footwear
L Brands founder Les Wexner and his wife Abigail Wexner will not stand for reelection to the company’s board at its annual shareholders meeting in May, the company said in an emailed press release Thursday. Wexner a year ago stepped down as CEO but remained on the board in an emeritus role. Francis Hondal, president of loyalty and engagement at Mastercard, and Danielle Lee, chief fan officer at the National Basketball Association, have been appointed as independent directors. Wexner’s full departure from L Brands is something of a surprise, considering that just a year ago the plan was for him to be on the board as “chairman emeritus.” Then again, he is an octogenarian who more or less ruled retail for six decades. L Brands noted in its release that the majority of its board members, including the chair, are women.
The chief executive of Tailored Brands is leaving after serving five years in the position and seeing the retailer through bankruptcy. The parent company of Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Moores Clothing for Men and K&G Fashion Superstore said that Dinesh Lathi will step down from his role as president and CEO, effective March 26. Board members Bob Hull and Peter Sachse will act as interim co-CEOs while the Board searches for a permanent successor. In December 2020, Tailored Brands completed its Chapter 11 restructuring. Earlier this month, the company secured $75 million in new financing. “With a solid financial structure now in place and the support of its new owners behind it, Tailored Brands is well positioned for growth in its next chapter,” Hull stated.
Athletic & Sporting Goods
Peloton is teaming up with Adidas to launch its most expansive branded apparel line yet, aimed at its fervent fans that can’t get enough of the trendy fitness company. The 11-piece line, called the adidas x Peloton SS21 collection, is priced between $30 to $85 and consists of tank tops, pants, shorts and hoodies. Peloton has other branded clothes with athletic companies, like Nike and Lululemon, but this is the first designed with the help of its instructors, who are quickly becoming celebrities.
Dick’s Sporting Goods is launching a men’s athletic apparel brand, called VRST, and is in the process of rolling it out to its 400-plus stores. It’s also created a website (vrst.com) just for the brand, which it describes as more like Lululemon than Nike, according to a CNBC report. It’s the second in-house brand for the retailer. The first was Calia. The VRST effort was initially announced during the retailer’s most recent earnings call. The clothing line will feature shorts, T-shirts, joggers, hooded sweatshirts and items ranging in price from $30 to $120.
Boat sales skyrocketed last year during the coronavirus pandemic as more Americans turned to the lifestyle amid more flexible work environments that allowed people to spend extra time enjoying the outdoors. Sales of boats, marine products and services across the country leaped to a 13-year high in 2020 to $47 billion, increasing 9% from the prior year, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. The trend, which shows few signs of slowing in 2021, shocked industry players who were certain they were in for rough times as the pandemic shut down the economy. Now, dealerships are struggling to maintain inventory and manufacturers are expanding production capacity to meet demand. What’s more, first-time buyers are entering the market in larger numbers, a sign that the growth has staying power.
Cosmetics & Pharmacy
Direct-to-consumer beauty brand MyGlamm has raised 175 crore rupees ($24.14 million) in a series C funding round led by Ascent Capital, Amazon and Wipro Consumer, which values the company at more than $100 million. This is the first investment Amazon has made in an Indian consumer brand – though it has enthusiastically been investing in Indian financial and tech services providers, as well as large retailers, such as Shoppers Stop and Future Group, in recent years. Walmart-owned Flipkart, Amazon’s major competitor in India’s online retail marketplace space, has long actively invested in brands such as Aditya Birla Fashion and Arvind Youth Brands, while Flipkart’s fashion retail platform Myntra has also invested in several brands while simultaneously building a strong portfolio of private labels, often in collaboration with celebrities. With this investment in MyGlamm, Amazon gets its foot in the door of the country’s burgeoning personal care and beauty segment.
The multi-brand beauty and personal care company formed by beauty investment from Waldencast Ventures and former Anheuser-Busch executive Felipe Dutra has gone public with a $300 million IPO, which includes an additional investment of up to $333 million in forward purchase agreements. Waldencast Acquisition Corporation is the latest SPAC in the beauty and personal care space — health company Hims also chose this route to go public in October 2020. It’s a positive sign for the future of beauty and personal care mergers and acquisitions as they have withstood economic effects of the pandemic. Waldencast Ventures founder Michel Brousset will serve as CEO of Waldencast Acquisition Corporation while Dutra will be in the executive chairman role.
Discounters & Department Stores
Nordstrom on Wednesday announced a shoppable, interactive livestream platform, an extension of the more than 50 virtual events the retailer has hosted since last year. During each show, customers can shop at Nordstrom.com and participate in a live chat, according to an emailed press release. The first, on Thursday from the New York City flagship, will feature fashion designer turned stylist José Ramón Reyes demonstrating ways to wear Burberry pieces. Part of the presentation will be pre-recorded and will conclude with a question and answer session. Upcoming events feature beauty, skincare and fashion experts and brand representatives, who will provide tips and tricks of the trade, the company said.
Walmart is elevating its fashion reputation. The retailer announced that it named acclaimed fashion designer Brandon Maxwell as creative director for Free Assembly and Scoop — the first collaboration of its kind for Walmart, according to a press release Tuesday. Maxwell, who founded his own luxury label and was a judge on TV show “Project Runway,” has had A-list celebrities including Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama and Oprah wear his designs. He was born and raised in Longview, Texas, where he said Walmart was commonly regarded as a clothing destination, per the release.
Dollar General is doubling down on brick-and-mortar by building bigger stores and expanding Popshelf, a new chain aimed at higher-income, suburban customers. On Thursday, the discounter laid out aggressive plans for the fiscal year that called for the company to open 1,050 stores, remodel 1,750 sites and relocate 100 others. As it builds new stores, shoppers will see larger sales floors and more merchandise. They’ll also notice more branding for Popshelf, which the retailer debuted in the fall. The company is testing both new locations and using the brand to create a store within a store.
Emerging Consumer Companies
Unagi, an Oakland-based electric scooter brand dubbed the “iPhone of scooters” when it was founded in 2018, is launching its subscription service to six more U.S. cities in an expansion fueled by $10.5 million in funding. The Series A funding round was led by the Ecosystem Integrity Fund, with participation from Menlo Ventures, Broadway Angels and Gaingels. Unagi will use the capital to bring its subscription service to Austin, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. It will also be expanding its service in the New York and LA metropolitan regions, including all five NYC boroughs, Long Island, Westchester and Northern New Jersey, as well as the Westside and Southeast LA, the San Fernando Valley and Orange County. The company was launched by former Beats Music CEO and MOG co-founder David Hyman, and offers its Model One electric scooter with a dual motor for $49 per month. The aim is to make the scooters accessible to a wider populace that might not want to shell out the $990 to own one outright.
3DLOOK, the San Mateo, California-based maker of AI-mobile body measuring and fit solutions, raised $6.5 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Almaz Capital with participation from TMT Investments and Zubr Capital. The investment brings the company’s total fundraising to date to $11.2 million. The new funds will be used to expand 3DLOOK’s U.S. leadership team and establish new R&D labs in the U.S. and Western Europe as the company continues building its camera-enabled personalized shopping experiences for consumers and delivering advanced body data analytics to enterprise companies. Tailored Brands and 1822 Denim are two notable retailers that are using 3DLOOK’s solutions to drive down apparel returns and increase conversion.
Grocery & Restaurants
The next restaurant chain to go public may be the fast-casual Torchy’s Tacos. Bloomberg reported last week that the Austin, Texas-based fast-casual chain has hired investment bankers to explore a proposed initial public offering this year. The report indicated Torchy’s could raise an estimated $300 million and have a valuation of about $1 billion. Torchy’s in November announced it had sold a $400 million stake in the company to a group of investors that included D1 Capital Partners, T. Rowe Price, Lone Pine Capital and XN, who joined existing investor General Atlantic. The goal at the time was to accelerate growth into as many as 10 new states over the next four years, said G.J. Hart, Torchy’s CEO. The chain added 12 new locations in 2020, moving into three new states, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Torchy’s was born in 2006 as a food trailer in Austin. Now with locations showing average unit volumes of about $3.8 million, the concept has become known for its cheeky marketing of “damn good tacos” and margaritas, with rotating Tacos of the Month.
Naf Naf Grill, the fast-casual Middle Eastern concept, and an investor group have acquired the entire minority ownership in the company previously held by affiliates of Roark Capital Group. The Chicago-based company did not disclose terms of the deal or the identity of the investor group. Atlanta-based private-equity Roark Capital Group invested in the concept in 2015. Naf Naf Grill’s website lists 39 locations in eight states, including Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg has reached an agreement to acquire the North American business of Schlieren, Switzerland-based Aryzta AG for $850 million. Aryzta North America provides bread, sweet and savory baked foods, and snacks to customers in the quick-service restaurant, foodservice and retail markets across the United States and Canada. The company’s portfolio includes both private label and branded offerings under the Otis Spunkmeyer, La Brea Bakery and Oakrun Farm Bakery brands. The pending sale of the North American business comes a little more than three months after Aryzta’s management announced plans to dispose of businesses in both North America and Latin America and shift focus to Europe and Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets. As part of that strategy, Aryzta in early December 2020 sold its take-and-bake pizza business in North America to Great Kitchens Food Company, Inc., a newly-formed portfolio company of Greenwich-based private equity firm Brynwood Partners VIII LP.
Since starting JoJé Bar in 2016, Founder and CEO Jess Cerra’s mission has been to create a line of energy bars baked with real-food ingredients that strikes the perfect balance of taste and nutrition. Cerra was able to take a step toward finding that balance as RoadRunner Holdings LLC announced the addition of JoJé Bar to its portfolio of athlete-focused active nutrition brands. Cerra will become the Vice President of Product and Community Development for RoadRunner, working alongside RoadRunner Holdings CEO Mac Tillman. RoadRunner Holdings LLC is creating a portfolio of athlete-focused sports nutrition brands, including SaltStick and JoJé Bar.
Home & Road
Williams-Sonoma closed fiscal year 2020 at the end of January with record growth, according to President and CEO Laura Alber in its earnings report. “In Q4, despite shipping constraints and low retail traffic, we delivered another quarter of accelerating revenue and profitability with 26% comp growth and more than 85% EPS growth,” Alber said. “This strong end to the year, combined with outperformance throughout 2020, drove record fiscal year revenue growth, substantial operating margin expansion and EPS that was almost double that of last year.”
February furniture sales declined after a strong start in January, but they remained well ahead of sales from February 2020. Bringing in $11.014 billion in February, according to advance estimates from the U.S. Department of Commerce monthly report on retail sales, the furniture and home furnishings store segment was up 8.9% over the year-ago total of $10.111 billion but down 3.8% from last month’s adjusted $11.446 billion. For the three month period of December 2020 to February 2021, furniture and home furnishings store totals were up 8.4% year-over-year and up 5.2% when compared with the previous three-month period, September to November 2020. In similar fashion, the furniture and home furnishings store segment results followed the pattern for the total U.S. retail and food services sales, which came in at an adjusted $561.685 billion, a 3% dip from January, but a 6.3% increase over February 2020.
Whole home furniture resource Classic Home has acquired upper end upholstery manufacturer Braxton Culler Inc., providing the company a domestic manufacturing presence in the upholstery segment. The company did not reveal a purchase price for Braxton Culler, or other specifics of the deal, other than to say it has purchased 100% of the High Point area-based company. In addition to a line of domestically produced upholstery and some cushions for outdoor furniture, Braxton Culler offers a line of imported indoor residential wood furniture that includes bedroom, dining and occasional. It also imports a line of wicker and rattan furniture and a line of outdoor seating and occasional furniture. Classic Home’s line, which is produced at its company-owned factories in India, includes bedroom, dining room, occasional and office furniture. It also offers a living room assortment that includes sofas, accent chairs and sectionals.
Jewelry & Luxury
Signet’s same-store sales rose 7% in its latest quarter, but executives expressed caution about the year ahead, fearing the COVID-19 pandemic’s end could shift consumer spending back to travel. “As the vaccine rollout progresses, there could be a shift of consumer discretionary spending away from the jewelry category toward experience-oriented categories,” said chief financial officer Joan Hilson on a conference call following the release of Signet’s financial results. Hilson said that Signet will boost its marketing spend to counter this anticipated shift, though it expects same-store sales will fall over the next year.
From a trend perspective, we know that white metals such as silver, white gold, and platinum have been gaining in popularity during recent years. Now, the Silver Promotion Service (SPS) is reporting that retail sales of silver grew in 2020—and that younger consumers were key in driving silver jewelry’s sales growth. The SPS, which has commissioned an annual retailer survey from InStore for 12 years running, reports that 2020 marked the 12th consecutive year of silver jewelry sales growth.
Dolce & Gabbana has joined the long list of DJ Khaled collaborators. The Italian fashion house teamed up with the award-winning hitmaker on an exclusive collection described as “Miami-meets-Mediterranean.” The capsule consists of both beachwear and ready-to-wear unisex pieces, including tracksuits, pullover hoodies, shorts, and accessories, all of which are presented in bold colors and all-over print patterns.
The British couture fashion brand which designed the Duchess of Sussex’s £56,000 engagement dress is on the brink of administration following a pandemic-induced sales slump. Sky News has learnt that Ralph & Russo could fall into the hands of insolvency practitioners as early as this week, according to people close to the company. Begbies Traynor and Quantuma, the professional services firm, are understood to have been put on standby to act as joint administrators to oversee an insolvency process. It was unclear whether a pre-pack sale – where a buyer is lined up to take on a company’s assets immediately after it enters administration – was in the cards.
Office & Leisure
Following its public debut at the start of the year, Petco on Thursday reported fourth quarter net sales increased 16.5% to $1.3 billion, driven by comparable sales growth of 17%. For the full year, the pet retailer reported net sales increased 11% year over year to $4.9 billion, while its comp sales also increased 11%. Petco’s net loss attributable to shareholders was $26.5 million for the year, which includes a $17.5 million loss on the extinguishment of debt related to its IPO. The retailer reduced its debt by 49%, or $1.6 billion, to $1.7 billion. The retailer expects net sales in the year ahead to increase up to 8.7% year over year to $5.35 billion on the higher end, or $5.25 billion on the lower end. The retailer, which added some 1 million new customers in the quarter, said it grew its digital business by more than 90%. But its store traffic also grew: Monthly visits to Petco increased 1.7% on average, according to a February report from foot traffics analytics firm Placer.ai.
Last spring, the managers at Märklin, the 162-year-old maker of model trains in Germany, were surprised by something unexpected in the sales reports. “We started to notice a serious uptick in orders,” said Florian Sieber, a director at Märklin. The jump continued into summer — a further surprise, he said, because that’s “when people don’t usually buy indoor train sets.” But buy they did. In November, Märklin’s monthly orders were up 70 percent over the previous year. The company’s video introducing its new trains and accessories, posted in January, has been viewed over 165,000 times. Along with baking and jigsaw puzzles earlier in the pandemic, model trains are among the passions being rediscovered while people are cooped up indoors. Several companies that make trains are reporting jumps in sales. For many people, the chance to create a separate, better world in the living room — with stunning mountains, tiny chugging locomotives and communities of inch-high people where no one needs a mask — is hard to resist.
Technology & Internet
The NFL has signed long-term television and digital media rights agreements that greatly expand availability to a variety of streaming platforms. Notably, Amazon has scored exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football in the first ever all-digital package. The deal begins with the 2023 season and extends through 2033. The ten-year deal is rumored to cost Amazon about $1 billion per year, according to CNBC’s sources. Amazon has been the NFL’s streaming media partner since 2017, streaming games on its Prime Video and Twitch platforms. Amazon Prime memberships cost $119 per year.
Snap, the parent of Snapchat, announced that it had acquired Berlin-based start-up Fit Analytics, which counts more than 18,000 retailers and brands as users of its solutions platform. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fit Analytics’ technology lets people enter their measurements into a tool that uses machine learning to match those dimensions up to clothes or shoes and find the best fit. The acquisition will help Snap add a substantial e-commerce technology business into its portfolio. More than 100 Fit Analytics employees will join Snap and continue to operate out of Berlin. The company will also continue to build its Fit Finder, a core tool, and other products for its clients. The team will work closely with Snap’s product group on e-commerce and shopping products, the company said.
Finance & Economy
Private equity firms are paying more for leveraged buyouts to keep pace with soaring valuations of acquisition targets, making some investors leery of whether the industry can keep delivering on promises of lucrative returns. The booming stock market and cheap debt financing have helped push leveraged buyout prices to a record high, driven by sectors that have grown as people work and stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as technology and business services. Private equity firms paid an average 13.2 times a company’s annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for U.S. leveraged buyouts in 2020, an all-time high, up from 12.9 times in 2019, according to financial data provider Refinitiv.
A monthly index measuring homebuilder confidence in the single-family housing market fell, as builders face rising interest rates and rising costs for materials, especially lumber. The latest results indicate that the housing industry might be in for a rough patch even as the economy roars back. A record low supply of homes for sale has caused prices for existing and newly built homes to rise quickly. Higher costs for builders are only exacerbating the situation, as these costs are being passed on to buyers. The median price of a newly built home was up more than 5% year over year in January.


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Retailers need to stop regarding online sellers as “a disruption” and need to learn from the likes of Amazon and Alibaba if they are to succeed in an omni-channel world, says global digital commerce consultancy Salmon.
In its latest report, Salmon Futures 2018: Digital and E-commerce Trends You Need to Know About, report, global head of consultancy and innovation Hugh Fletcher said: “There has never been a more important time to get to grips with e-commerce. While traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses struggle with diminishing footfall and share of wallet, online retailing continues to grow apace.
“E-commerce is being driven by its main protagonists – Amazon and Alibaba – as well as by consumers, who are happier to interact and purchase online via an ever-increasing range of channels. While traditionalists view this as disruption, it is not. It should simply be seen as the terms of engagement for businesses that want to succeed in the omni-channel world.”
Mr Fletcher added: “What was seen as revolutionary only a few months ago can quickly become the benchmark of what is expected.”
Salmon warned that while many retailers “are still planning a screen-based future, the digital and retail innovators are stealing a march”.
It pointed out that 2017 saw voice become mainstream with the increased usage of Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, and the announcement of Apple Home Pod. This has introduced a new age of interfaces – “a new age that will ultimately result in screens ceasing to be our primary access point into the web”.
Salmon pointed to research it had carried out that showed 41 per cent of customers want to use voice for purchasing online.
The report said: “Feel free to plan your e-commerce futures exclusively with screens in mind. But do so in the knowledge that soon, your competitors will be using more natural, less intrusive interfaces to sell to customers. How will your mobile site and website stack up then?”
Another trend highlighted in the report is the growth of ‘programmatic commerce’. This refers to automatic ordering and replenishment, where products take over the purchasing on behalf of the user.
Salmon pointed out that the technology is already here and highlighted the Brita water filter jug that automatically reorders new filters and Nespresso coffee machines that order new pods for the user. More importantly, the report highlighted that consumers want this technology. Salmon’s own research found that while in 2016 only 13 per cent of consumers would have been happy for a product to take over purchasing and replenishment, when it re-ran the poll last year, that number had risen to 46 per cent.
The report added that, with a number of ‘mini-trends’ pushing consumers into a subscription-led society, with the likes of Spotify and Netflix, automatic purchasing and replenishment was “not only likely, but inevitable”.
The report also warned of what Salmon called the “aggressive horizontal expansion” of companies like Amazon and Apple, “looking outside their core competencies for the next opportunity”. It cited Amazon’s move into hardware with its Echo product family and Apple’s acquisition of the Beats headphone brand.
The report warned: “Whatever your competitor landscape is now, it’s unlikely to be the same in the future. Not only will these competitors be new, but their outlook on your industry will be fresh, too. And it’s likely that these new competitors will address the friction points that you’ve been avoiding in new and innovative ways.”
Salmon concluded: “So a fight is on to own the first digital mile… mainly between Amazon and Google. But shouldn’t this be a fight that brands, retailers and companies get involved in? It’s a fight for the first interaction with your customers after all. So why are brands sitting back and letting the digital innovators and search engines battle it out for the first bite of their customers?”

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The Controversy Surrounding Huawei and its Alleged Surveillance
Huawei, the Chinese multinational tech giant, has been under scrutiny in the United States for years over concerns about the company’s networking gear and devices’ potential to contain backdoors that spy on companies and consumers and send data back to Beijing. The United States government labeled Huawei as a national security threat, and the company’s ties with the Communist Chinese government raised suspicions as well. However, Huawei has always denied these allegations.
In 2017, Huawei was ordered to pay T-Mobile $4.8 million in a civil case when Huawei employees stole pieces of a robot named Tappy, which was being used to test smartphones, during a visit to the carrier in 2014. This was one of the few cases where Huawei faced repercussions for its actions. Huawei’s success in 2019, which saw the manufacturer come close to topping Samsung and Apple as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer, made several people wonder why the U.S. government was making life difficult for Huawei.
Did Huawei Track Visitors in the MWC Exhibition Using its Security Badges?
In 2023, Huawei attracted controversy during the MWC (Mobile World Congress) exhibition in Barcelona. According to a report published on LightReading, it was rumored that Huawei would introduce its next flagship “P60” series at the event, but that didn’t happen. However, some MWC visitors who obtained Huawei security badges to access the company’s booth failed to return them when leaving the exhibit. Curious visitors took apart the small plastic container that was part of the badge and found something that looked suspiciously like a tracking device designed to follow one’s movements within a 70-meter radius.
A Huawei spokesperson denied these accusations, stating that Huawei pass was only used within the booth and returned when visitors left the exhibit, and there was no need to track someone’s location. However, many visitors who visited Huawei’s booth expressed their unhappiness towards the company, which is regularly accused of planting backdoors in its products.
The Consequences of Huawei’s Actions
The GSM Association (GSMA), which organizes the MWC shows, expressed concern over the allegations of tracking devices and initiated an investigation into the matter. This situation comes at a time when the U.S. government is accusing Huawei of espionage and urging other countries to follow suit. Huawei haters believe that the company should continue to be punished by the U.S. for their alleged wrongdoings. However, Huawei still needs to provide a more detailed answer regarding these recent allegations.
In conclusion, Huawei’s alleged ties with the Chinese government and the allegations of backdoors in their products has earned them widespread scrutiny and suspicion from several countries. While Huawei maintains its innocence, the company’s actions, as seen in the recent MWC controversy, can only reinforce already existing doubts and accusations.


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Feeding cows microalgae could add more omega-3 to dairy products
Feeding dairy cows microalgae may be the answer to adding more omega-3 to dairy products a PhD student has found.
Bethan Till, who is undertaking a PhD at Harper Adams University in the UK, increased the level of long chain omega-3 while reducing the level of saturated fatty acids in cheese by feeding cows microalgae.
The omega-3 content was increased without altering the taste of the cheese either.
Ms Till said the aim of feeding the cows microalgae was to improve how healthy dairy products can be.
“Western diets are providing less than recommended levels of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which are beneficial to human health,” Ms Till said.
“Fish is typically regarded as a natural source of omega-3s but the levels are diminishing and less fish is being consumed.
“By increasing the level of omega-3 in cheese, which is already integrated into many people’s diets, they can have this healthier benefit without having to alter their eating and shopping habits.
“It is also a good route to ensure that children achieve good intake levels of omega-3s as they’ll more readily consume milk and cheese, than say fish.”
Microalgae is at the bottom of the food chain and is eaten by fish, making it rich in omega-3. The study was conducted on high yielding Holstein Friesian dairy cows that were given one of four diets. Three of the diets included microalgae at different levels, with a medium amount determined the best for producing the omega-3 cheese.
“From the cheese tasting panel, we found that there were also no negative effects on taste,” Ms Till said.
“The trained panellists described it as having a pleasant, nutty flavour. The colour and texture were also very similar to regular cheeses.”
Ms Till and other researchers are now studying whether microalgae improves fertility in cows. Although it is too early for any results, another study from the US has found microalgae did improve fertility in dairy cows.
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Monash University has struck a historic agreement with the Nutrition and Health Research Institute (...
According to a CREST foodservice market research report for the NPD group, the consumption of alcoho...
Snowdale, one of Western Australia’s largest egg producers has been penalised AUD $750, 000 for maki...


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In a stirring introduction to its E3 conference, Nintendo used a full orchestra to announce plans for the 25th anniversary The Legend of Zelda.
"Zelda - it sure brings back memories," said creator Shigeru Miyamoto as he walked on stage following the orchestra's rendition of the score from forthcoming Zelda adventure Skyward Sword.
"We have prepared a game for each of our hardware systems," he explained.
Miyamoto reconfirmed the release of Game Boy title Link's Awakening for 3DS Virtual Console, announcing that it would become available from today. The 3D remake of Ocarina of Time, as we know, is due later this month.
In September a DSi version of The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords will be made available as a free download. And Skyward Sword was confirmed for a "holiday" 2011 release.
Elsewhere, Nintendo announced a special gold Wiimote to accompany the release of Skyward Sword. And two music CDs were confirmed: the first, the Ocarina of Time soundtrack, will be free to those who sign up to Club Nintendo early after picking up the 3DS remake.
The second will be based on a classical concert tour, which will see Zelda music performed around the world this year. The CD will be released alongside Skyward Sword.
"Last year was the 25th anniversary of Mario; this year is the 25th anniversary of Zelda," Miyamoto added. "Since we first released the game the gameplay [of Zelda] and visuals have constantly evolved. And so has the music".
The Nintendo conference is currently being staged in Los Angeles.


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Nokia is gearing up to acquire Comptel for $370 Million at EUR 3.04 per share. Dubbed as a major software company based in Finland, the purpose of Nokia is to take advantage in the broadband equipment manufacturing segment for 4G LTE mobile. Even though Nokia has handed over the smartphone rights to HMD Global, the company still active in the production of telecom network equipment.
The offer per share is reportedly 30 percent more than the current market price of the company. Meanwhile, the Board of directors and shareholders who occupy 48 percent of the overall shares have given the green signal for the deal between Nokia and Comptel.
When it comes to the telecom equipment arena, Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei are the global leaders. Moreover, the 4G connectivity is rapidly expanding to emerging countries.
There are reports that few telecom companies are currently testing 5G LTE connectivity in several cities across the United States. Hence, it is absolutely important for Nokia to occupy a prime spot in the mobile equipment field. We expect Nokia to emerge as a popular player in the 4G and 5G mobile equipment segment because of the deal with Comptel.
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Azymuth Vintage Logo Black Mug (SOLD OUT)
Orders begin shipping 4th September 2020 | Also available on Bandcamp.
A new limited black drinking mug celebrating the release of Azymuth's previously unheard demos.
Following 2019’s release of Azymuth’s Demos (1973-75), two more home-recorded demo tracks by the Brazilian psychedelic jazz-funk masters have surfaced from a tape in drummer Ivan Conti’s private archive. Listen and pre-order the 7" release HERE.


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Demonstrated resilience is due in part to the reduction of the specialized refrigerated fleet.
Refrigerated container freight rates continue to outpace dry cargo rates, despite an unprecedented contraction in refrigerated shipping last year.
Although demand has been steadily recovering since the beginning of the year, demonstrating the resilience of the sector.
If anything, this divergence is expected to continue over the next few years, according to Drewry’s Reefer Shipping Annual Review and Forecast report.
The expected normalization of refrigerated trade and the consequent correction of freight rates have proven to be more gradual than for dry container shipping.
Increasing and resilient
Drewry estimates that total refrigerated cargo transported by sea worldwide fell to 137.5 million tonnes last year, representing a drop of almost 1%, the first decline in more than 20 years.
Supply chain disruptions, increased input costs, and the normalization of demand for perishable cargo after the 2021 peaks contributed to this decline.
As a result, major chilled products such as meat, bananas and fresh vegetables were affected in 2022.
Looking ahead, refrigerated shipping is positioned to surpass dry container shipping with projected average annual growth of 3.6% through 2027.
As a result, the anticipated drop in reefer container freight rates will remain more measured than for the dry sector and still positioning itself above pre-pandemic levels in 2024.


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After more than 10 years making hearty smoothies in Boulder, a former New York City financier is firing up the blenders in LoHi.
Andrew Pudalov is building out the second location of his fast-casual concept Rush Bowls at 1665 Central St. in LoHi.
“We feel that LoHi has had immense growth,” Pudalov said. “Its population is a great demographic for our type of product. We have young professionals who have really latched on that concept of grab and go.”
Rush Bowls sells bowls filled with yogurt, fruit and granola for around $8.
Narvaes Construction is currently doing the work on the 600-square-foot location, which will be the chain’s second spot when it opens in August.
While the bowls are similar to smoothies, Pudalov said he adds granola, honey and other toppings to all the bowls that give it a texture different from something sold in a smoothie shop.
Pudalov, who at one time worked in finance in New York City, moved his family to Boulder in 2004 and opened their first Rush Bowls location near the University of Colorado.
In 2011, Rush Bowls started wholesaling frozen products. Customers include local Whole Foods stores and Amazon, he said.
Pudalov said he also is looking to have up to 10 franchise locations across Denver over the next few years.
Pudalov would like to open two more corporate owned Rush Bowls locations in Denver within the next year, but hasn’t yet located space for additional restaurants.
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EMI Settles Ringtone Litigation With InfoSpace
July 8, 2008 at 5:56 AM (PT)
EMI has settled the ringtone royalty lawsuit it filed in JANUARY against mobile content distributor INFOSPACE, DMWMEDIA reported, citing an INFOSPACE regulatory filing. EMI had sought in excess of $10 million in damages for alleged breaches of contract, as well as statutory damages for alleged copyright infringement that ran to "many millions" of dollars.
The label said INFOSPACE was selling ringtones for which it did not hold licenses, such as for JOHN LENNON's song "Imagine," and also selling them in territories for which it was not authorized. INFOSPACE denied the charges and filed a $1.5 million countersuit against EMI, claiming breach of contract and tortious interference.
While terms of the settlement were not disclosed, INFOSPACE said it does not expect the settlement will materially and adversely affect its business or results of operations.


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According to the latest data from Trip.com Group (former Ctrip), Chinese multinational online travel company that provides services including accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management, bookings by Chinese tourists traveling to foreign destinations spiked by 640% during the Lunar New Year festival vs the same period last year, while foreign hotel bookings have quadrupled.
Long-Haul travel sentiment to Europe improves despite high global inflation
The desire for overseas travel in 2023 has increased significantly in large travel markets compared to a year ago. Over 60% of potential travellers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, and the US intend to travel long-haul in 2023, with Europe being top of mind. Travel sentiment to Europe in the first four months of the year has also improved, with the most notable year-over-year increases observed in China (+21 points) and Brazil (+13 points). The exception to these positive trends is Japan, with 27% of respondents enthusiastic about long-haul trips in 2023 as a whole and 13% between January and April.
Personal Finances are main barrier to travel long-haul this autumn
The European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail BV published the latest Long-Haul Travel Barometer (LHTB) on 3/2022, which provides insights on traveller sentiment for September – December 2022. The report reveals that the appetite for overseas travel in the last months of 2022 has improved, with Brazil (150p), Canada (136p) and the US (126p) showing the greatest rise in the sentiment index compared to summer. However, the desire to visit Europe has stagnated in key markets, showing only marginal improvements.
Sojern celebrates 15 years and expands capabilities
Founded in 2007, Sojern has maintained an unwavering focus on travel from day one.
EXPERT UNPACKS TRAVEL’S FY22 RESULTS
Key players in the Australian travel industry bombarded our news cycle last week with their annual wrap-up the year’s financial results.
Japan OKs individual tourists with conditions
Japan reopened to international visitors in June, but tourists were only allowed to enter if they joined a guided tour and obtained a visa.
Cheaper gas and flight delays to spark rise in Labor Day road trips
As travel starts to rise, thousands of flight delays and cancellations have driven travelers to hit the road for labor day holiday.
Centara offers beautiful escapes in Southeast Asia
Centara Hotels & Resorts offers beautiful escapes and amazing packages for families seeking a memorable vacation.
Asia Pacific’s Hotel Construction Pipeline Reach Record High
Recent Asia Pacific, excluding China, Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report showed that the region’s total construction pipeline improved.
What’s driving the global adventure tourism market in 2022?
The Global Adventure Tourism Market is estimated to be USD 568.56 Mn in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 880.84 Mn by 2027.


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Last year, when hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek showed that they could hijack the steering and brakes of a Ford Escape and a Toyota Prius with nothing but laptops connected to the cars, they raised two questions: Could hackers perform the same tricks wirelessly, or even over the Internet? And even more pressing: Is your specific car vulnerable, too?
If you own a Cadillac Escalade, a Jeep Cherokee or an Infiniti Q50, you may not like the answer.
In a talk today at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas — and an accompanying 92-page paper — Valasek and Miller will present the results of a broad analysis of dozens of different car makes and models, assessing the vehicles’ schematics for the signs that hint at vulnerabilities to auto-focused hackers. The result is a kind of handbook of ratings and reviews of automobiles for the potential hackability of their networked components. “For 24 different cars, we examined how a remote attack might work,” says Valasek, director of vehicle security research at the security consultancy IOActive. “It really depends on the architecture: If you hack the radio, can you send messages to the brakes or the steering? And if you can, what can you do with them?”
Miller and Valasek are quick to disclaim that their results aren’t definitive assertions about security vulnerabilities in cars and trucks so much as warnings of potential weaknesses. In contrast to their 2013 research, they didn’t do any hands-on hacking. In fact, their recent work consisted mostly of signing up for mechanics’ accounts on the websites of all the car makers, downloading the cars’ technical manuals and wiring diagrams, and analyzing the computer networks those documents revealed. “We wanted to take a step back and look at a whole range of cars in much less detail, to really see what was out there,” Valasek says.
In the researchers’ analysis, three vehicles were ranked “most hackable”: the 2014 models of the Infiniti Q50 and Jeep Cherokee and the 2015 model of the Cadillac Escalade. The full results, summarized in the chart below, show that the 2010 and 2014 Toyota Prius didn’t fare well either.
Miller and Valasek’s findings represented in a single chart. A plus sign represents “more hackable,” a minus sign “less hackable.” (Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek)
All the cars’ ratings were based on three factors: The first was the size of their wireless “attack surface” — features like Bluetooth, WiFi, cellular network connections, keyless entry systems, and even radio-readable tire pressure monitoring systems. Any of those radio connections could potentially be used by a hacker to find a security vulnerability and gain an initial foothold onto a car’s network. Second, they examined the vehicles’ network architecture, how much access those possible footholds offered to more critical systems such as steering and brakes. And third, Miller and Valasek assessed what they call the cars’ “cyberphysical” features: capabilities like automated braking, parking and lane assist that could transform a few spoofed digital commands into an actual out-of-control car.
The Infiniti Q50 in particular was a model of insecure architecture, the researchers say. The sports sedan’s wireless features included remote keyless entry, Bluetooth, a cellular connection, wireless tire pressure monitoring, and an Infiniti Connection system that interfaces with a “personal assistant” app on the driver’s smartphone. Miller and Valasek say that within the Q50’s network, those radio and telematic components were directly connected to engine and braking systems. And the sedan’s critical driving systems had computer-controlled features like adaptive cruise control and adaptive steering that a hacker could potentially hijack to physically manipulate the car.
Jeep’s 2014 Cherokee didn’t rate much better, with many of those same wireless features, plus a WiFi network, and even more automated driving features like parallel parking assistance that could potentially be triggered at high speeds. “It’s awesome that it has all these features,” Miller says. “But it’s a little scary that they can all talk to each other.”
The researchers point to Audi’s A8, by contrast, as an example of a strong network layout. Its wireless features were separated from its driving functions on its internal network, with a gateway that would block commands sent to steering or brakes from any compromised radios.
In a statement to Wired, Infiniti spokesperson Kyle Bazemore responded to the researchers’ findings by pointing out that Miller and Valasek didn’t actually hack a Q50. But he writes that the company is nonetheless examining their conclusions. “As the potential for ‘hacking’ into the electronic systems of all automobiles may grow, we will continue to integrate security features into our vehicles to help protect against cyber-attacks,” Bazemore adds.
Neither Toyota nor GM immediately responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Chrysler wrote in a statement that the company will “endeavor to verify these claims and, if warranted, we will remediate them.” The company also took a jab at Miller and Valasek for not sharing their research with the companies before going public with their findings: “We support the responsible disclosure protocol for addressing cyber security threats. Accordingly, we invite security specialists to first share with us their findings so we might achieve a cooperative resolution. To do otherwise would benefit only those with malicious intent.”
Miller and Valasek counter that they’ve shared their report with the Department of Transportation and the Society of Automobile Engineers, an industry group. Their goal is to use public pressure — and if necessary, shame — to push car companies to think about their security architecture.
The possibility of car hacking, after all, is becoming more real; In some cases the researchers analyzed car models over time to see how they were becoming more digitized and thus potentially more insecure. Infiniti, for instance, more than tripled the number of electronic control units (ECUS) in its Q50 between 2006 and 2014; Jeep and Range Rover both more than doubled them between 2010 and 2014. Meanwhile cars are increasingly connected to smartphones and the Internet, in some cases integrating into their dashboards Web browsers that are well-known targets for hackers. “Our main takeaway is that companies should consider security before adding pieces onto an automobile, especially when those pieces have remote connectivity or cyberphysical attributes,” Valasek says.
Miller and Valasek also recommend that automakers think about more actively foiling hackers. For their talk, the hacker duo has created a prototype of an intrusion detection system for cars — a $150 device that plugs directly into a vehicle’s network to monitor and block suspicious commands.
The researchers, whose earlier work was funded with a grant from DARPA, aren’t the first to examine the wirelessly hackability of cars. In 2010 a team of researchers from the University of Washington and the University of California San Diego showed they could take over a car via a smorgasbord of wireless vulnerabilities. Their attack points included the car’s Bluetooth connection, its OnStar-like cellular radio, a rogue Android app on the driver’s phone synced to the car’s network, and even a malicious audio file burned onto a CD in the car’s stereo.
But those hackers wouldn’t name the car they tested. Miller and Valasek, since the beginning of their auto-hacking exploits, haven’t been so discreet.
“You can grab a Consumer Reports magazine from a newsstand right now and see ratings for car safety features,” Valasek says. “We’re doing the same thing, but for vehicles’ cybersecurity.”
More from Wired


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According to a new study from Frost & Sullivan, found here
, the trailer telematics market is not only ripe for the picking, but it’s also the place to look to when observing what fleets will adopt as new optimization processes.
Frost & Sullivan said that telematics vendors have a large opportunity in Europe and North America since most trailers don’t have systems currently, but noted that these services must be secure and provide easy-to-use asset monitoring. The company believes the opportunity is growing because hardware costs are decreasing and the knowledge around the benefits of telematics are increasing.
Frost & Sullivan said companies looking into telematics often further their approach to include optimization efforts because they become aware of the ability to maximize efficiency in other aspects of their operations. Adding in a fleet telematics offering means also needing systems that can support it and opens up opportunities to make day-to-day operations more productive by using the new data collected, reducing costs.
These operations also allow companies to share and collect more information with their partner and customer networks.
“Consolidation, horizontal collaboration, and joint ventures among logistics operators is expected to increase the need for an integrated supply chain solutions provider providing end-to-end asset visibility,” said Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Niranjan Manohar. “As the fleets’ and leasing companies’ operations get increasingly interfaced with that of their customers, the need for effective trailer tracking for productivity improvement is more critical now than ever before.”
Frost & Sullivan called security and productivity improvements for mobile assets that haul industrial and consumer goods in Europe a key issue around future growth. The researcher said that one key thing the market needs is standardization around technologies, which will make the mid-market more inclined to participate as costs reduce.
It estimates that less than 5 percent of the 2.3 million trailers in Europe have telematics systems, but said that the penetration rate will rise to 18.2 percent among the estimated 3.1 million trailers that will be available in 2017. - Geoff Whiting


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Nintendo will finally unveil their Animal Crossing smartphone game this week in a Nintendo Direct on Wednesday 25th October.
First announced in 2016, the mobile version of Animal Crossing has been on the cards for a while but was delayed along with Fire Emblem Heroes, which was eventually released earlier this year. The game’s casual yet slightly addictive style is ideal for mobile gameplay, and it will be interesting to see how the game will work and which price model it will follow. Fire Emblem followed a free-to-play with optional micro-transactions, whereas Super Mario Run opted for a free download with a price wall to unlock the full game. Animal Crossing seems perfect for the former, but we’ll see soon enough.
— Animal Crossing UK (@AC_Isabelle) October 23, 2017
The 15-minute long Direct will air at 12pm local time in Japan, and Animal Crossing UK have confirmed you can tune in at 7am UK time to learn all about the new game.
Nintendo have made clear on their website that the direct will not shed any light on games for 3DS or Switch, but will focus on their next big smartphone game.


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The Conversation Africa examined how various groups - including the government, Anglophone activists, media organisations and citizens - used social media to report on growing unrest in Cameroon...
The African Development Bank Annual Meetings concluded with consensus on ways to fast-track regional integration...
"To integrate Africa, bring down the walls," African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina urged at the 2019 AfDB Annual Meetings Open in Malabo...
The report reveals that internet ad formats already account for the majority of media spend in eight markets, including the US, UK and China...
31 May 2019
The New York Festivals AME Awards has released the 2019 AME Report, a ranking of the world's most successful agencies, and advertisers according to their achievements in the AME Awards...
23 May 2019
Wan-Ifra has released a new report that looks at the global map of remedies adopted by governments whose objective is to combat the disinformation crisis, though with extremely diverse intent and effects...
15 May 2019
The results of the second annual BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Global Retail Brands have been revealed. The research shows that the world's most valuable retail brands are worth $339 billion more...
14 May 2019
NEW YORK, US: Global consumer confidence increased one index point last quarter to 89, while Europe led confidence declines in 24 of the region's 27 measured markets, according to fourth quarter 2011 global consumer confidence findings from Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy.
8 Feb 2012
NEW YORK, US: Global online consumer confidence fell for the seventh consecutive quarter as confidence in 31 of 56 global markets measured declined, according to from Nielsen, a leading global provider of insights and analytics into what consumers watch and buy.
9 Nov 2011
NEW YORK, US: Global advertising rose 8.8% year-on-year in Q1 to total US$118 billion* based on published rate cards, as advertisers spent more on television and continued to invest in booming consumer Asian and Latin American markets.
11 Jul 2011
NEW YORK, US: Consumer confidence fell in 25 out of 52 countries in Q4 2010 as hope for a global economic recovery evaporated at the end of last year, according to the latest edition of the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index, which tracks consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions among online consumers.
27 Jan 2011
SINGAPORE: comScore, Inc recently announced that it will offer free participation in Media Metrix 360 to online publishers in Southeast Asia. Under this new initiative any publisher can now participate in Media Metrix 360 measurement with no implementation fee for tagging.
14 Sep 2010


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I'm a big fan of Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert and try and listen to all their shows.
Keiser Report (E324) Crooks, Crimes and Chaos at about 4:00 minutes in discusses a most bizarre phenomenon: Facebook sock puppets
The story is that a digital distribution company, Limited Press, concluded from its ad analytics the following:
80% of clicks on Limited Press' advertisements came from fake users
Bots were loading pages and driving up advertising revenue.
Facebook has 83 million illegitimate accounts
Majia here: Wow! And I found additional sources to support these claims:
Facebook admits up to 83m profiles could be 'fake' by Andrew Laughlin
[Excerpted] Facebook has confirmed that up to 83 million profiles on the world's largest social network are believed to be fake.
The BBC reports a recent Facebook company filing as saying that 8.7% of the firm's 955m worldwide users may not be legitimate.
It was revealed that 4.8% of the suspected profiles were outright fakes, while 2.4% were misclassified accounts - essentially users who have created profiles "for a business, organization, or non-human entity such as a pet".
However, 1.5% were put in a category labelled "undesirable" - profiles that have been deemed to be in breach of Facebook's terms of service, such as spammers….
Businesses wasting money chasing Facebook 'likes', suggests BBC probe Friday, Jul 13 2012, 8:26am EDT | By Andrew Laughlin |http://www.digitalspy.com/media/news/a393203/businesses-wasting-money-chasing-facebook-likes-suggests-bbc-probe.html
[Excerpted] "Companies could be wasting thousands of dollars on adverts to gain Facebook 'likes', as users of the social network are not actually intent on purchasing their products, according to a BBC investigation.
The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said that many Facebook account holders who 'like' products have actually lied about their personal details.
Security experts even warn that profiles are being created by hackers to spread spam on the social network, although Facebook denies this."
Majia Here: I recall that Forbes had published an article about the US military creating sock puppets:
Parmy Olson (2011, March 17). Anonymous, The Military And Fake Virtual Armies. Forbes. http://blogs.forbes.com/parmyolson/2011/03/17/anonymous-the-military-and-fake-virtual-armies/
[Excerpted] "In Iraq and Afghanistan the military has started using software that allows it to create fake online identities to counter enemy efforts to recruit new members, using tactics like posting fake comments on blogs.
The practice was highlighted last night when the online hacking collective Anonymous released documents and e-mails highlighting the use of software to create multiple, fake online profiles, also known as “sock puppets” or “virtual armies” to sway public opinion. Anonymous, which has a small team of half a dozen supporters conducting their own investigation into the documents, claims the software has been used to track users on social networks like Facebook in foreign countries."
Majia here: An additional source on military sockpuppets:
U.S. Military Launches Spy Operation Using Fake Online Identities
[Excerpted] The U.S. Military has purchased software designed to create and control false online personas in an attempt to use social media and other websites to counter anti-U.S. messaging.
According to the contract between US Central Command (Centcom) and California company Ntrepid, the software would let each user control 10 personas, each "replete with background, history, supporting details, and cyber presences that are technically, culturally and geographically consistent." The software would also be able to let personas "appear to originate in nearly any part of the world" and interact through "conventional online services and social media platforms," while using a static IP address for each persona to maintain a consistent online identity.
These false online personas, also known as "sock puppets," would be equipped to seem like real people while entering online discussion through blogs, message boards, chats, and more. With a false persona, a user could discredit opponents, or create the semblance of consensus....
Majia Here: It appears that sock puppets are widespread. This phenomenon illustrates a number of ideas that have been examined in this blog:
Ubiquitous Surveillance by corporations and government
Ubiquitous Fraud by corporations and government
Shallowness of Consumer Culture (to be fooled by sock puppets implies a shallow level of social discourse, does it not?)


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DETROIT, MI - Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America, is to discuss the future of electrification in the auto industry and where it’s headed next at the 2012 SAE Convergence Conference and Exhibition at Cobo Hall today.
Reuss had been a mechanical engineer at GM since 1983, when he began as a student intern. He was in a variety of engineering roles with the company and its brands before being named to various management positions. He was most recently vice president of engineering and managed the company’s operations in Australia and New Zealand.
Ruess has been president of GM North America since 2009. MLive Detroit will have details on Reuss's remarks shortly after the event.


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Earlier this week, D’Addario introduced its NYXL electric guitar strings — what the company considers the next generation of strings. To celebrate the occasion, D’Addario hosted a star-studded launch party May 1 at the Carle Place Guitar Center in Long Island, New York.
The recently remastered and stripped-down versions of Double Fantasy offer a revealing glimpse into John Lennon’s spirit and artistry. In this Guitar World exclusive, session guitarists Rick Nielsen and Earl Slick and producer Jack Douglas discuss the stories and sounds behind Lennon’s final album.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about David Bowie's recent announcement of his first new album in a decade is that, in an age populated by camera phones, gossip blogs and Twitter, no one saw it coming.


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Nerdy, a direct-to-consumer, curated gig economy platform for live online learning has announced a net loss of $5.7 million for the first quarter of 2021, compared to a net loss of $8 million reported for Q1 2020.
Revenue for the quarter was $34.6 million, up from $23 million reported for the first quarter last year.
Chuck Cohn, founder, chairman and chief executive of Nerdy, said: “We are excited to report record first-quarter results that reflect accelerating top-line growth as several key company initiatives came together to deliver strong learner and engagement growth. In the first half of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting closures of schools and testing centres created short-term challenges for our business that we innovated our way through. As states reopen and schools return to in-person instruction, we are seeing demand for our learning solutions accelerate. We are encouraged by both the anticipated return to a new normal given the positive impact we expect such a return will have on our business as well as the strong results we are seeing from our investments in growth and innovation.”
Nerdy is headquartered in St Louis, Missouri.
Date published: 6 May 2021


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TÜV Rheinland Articles
Conformity and approval of smart home products
The market for smart home products, AV/IT products, lights and other devices for everyday use has changed dramatically in recent years. For example, there are now many robots that do the work for their owners and take care of numerous household chores, even at affordable prices. And the market is growing. Robotic hoovers have long been part of the range.
TÜV Rheinland and Ericsson partner in communications
TÜV Rheinland has signed a contract for cooperation with Ericsson. The agreement focuses on the cooperation between the two companies with regard to the new Ericsson Device Hub (EDH) ecosystem. Ericsson and TÜV Rheinland will offer manufacturers of radio and telecommunications products all services related to global market launch and can thus make a decisive contribution to reducing the previous complexity of product launch and marketin...
Cyber security dictates stability of societies
TÜV Rheinland, an international provider of testing, inspection and certification services, has released its seventh annual report on cyber security trends for 2020. The report is a collaboration between many of TÜV Rheinland‘s leading cyber security experts globally, and discusses seven key cyber security trends which will be important to be aware of in 2020.
Certification for experts in industrial cyber security
Global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, TÜV Rheinland, has announced the launch of a new personnel certification program to address the demand for cyber security expertise in the complex and challenging operational technology (OT) and industrial security sector. The new Certified Operational Technology Cybersecurity Professional Program is being offered in response to the growing demand for specialists in industrial ...
5G mobile CE RED certification issued to Huawei
International provider of testing, inspection, and certification services, TÜV Rheinland, has issued the first CE RED certificate for a Huawei 5G mobile phone. Li Xiaolong, Huawei's Vice President of Mobile Phones, Stefan Kischka, Vice President of TÜV Rheinland Wireless/IoT, attended the certification ceremony on behalf of their respective companies.
Real time cyber attack protection solutions worldwide
Specialist in testing, inspection and certification services, TÜV Rheinland, has announced the company has entered into a strategic partnership with Obrela Security Industries. Together, they will offer Managed Detection & Response (MDR) cyber security services worldwide. MDR services quickly detect particularly sophisticated cyber attacks and respond to them in real time.
Duo detect cyber security threats on next-gen vehicles
To help the automotive industry test, detect and remediate the increasing cyber security threats targeting next-gen vehicles, TÜV Rheinland and VisualThreat has announced a strategic partnership.


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Digital Arts has introduced that The Sims 4 will likely be free-to-play on October 18th.
Beginning this date, gamers will have the ability to obtain the bottom sport without cost on PC, Mac, PS5, PS4, Xbox Sequence X/S, and Xbox One.
“As a result of The Sims 4 is now free-to-play, our workforce is extra devoted than ever to creating new and significant The Sims 4 experiences for our gamers, and we are going to proceed to develop and launch Sims Supply Specific packs, bundles, and bundles for the foreseeable future,” , the corporate mentioned.
The Sims 4 Excessive Faculty Years Official Trailer
Developer Maxis plans to share extra particulars about its future plans for the sport, at the moment priced at $19.99 / £17.99, throughout a reside stream on October 18th.
From September 14 to October 17, present Sims 4 house owners will obtain the brand new Desert Luxe Bundle without cost.
“With the Desert Luxe Bundle, Sims can calm down of their trendy oasis with luxurious indoor and outside furnishings impressed by the pure panorama of the southwestern desert and supplies akin to stone and wooden,” in response to EA.
The Sims 4 was initially launched for PC in September 2014, adopted by Mac in 2015 and PS4 and Xbox One in 2017.
As of February 2019, the sport generated over $1 billion in income, with over 33 million folks taking part in the sport as of February 2021, in response to EA.
Throughout an earnings name final November, EA CEO Andrew Wilson mentioned that “The Sims is likely one of the finest franchises in our business and exists in a class the place we have now only a few opponents within the life-style class.”
He added, “This workforce continues to consider the best way to increase this franchise even additional than immediately, in a class and with a participant base that may be very totally different from the remainder of our portfolio.”


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The La Senza Bra Fitting Bus will be coming to a Shopping Centre near you in the run up to Christmas, encouraging women to take the La Senza Bra Fit Challenge and raise money for a local charity at the same time.
Currently over 70 per cent of women are wearing the wrong size bra
and La Senza, the Bra Fitting Specialist is committed to encouraging women to get professionally fitted. Wearing the right size bra can improve posture, is much more comfortable to wear and can be a fantastic confidence booster. And with La Senza donating 50p to a local charity for every woman fitted on the La Senza Bra Fitting Bus, there's never been a better time to get fitted.
The La Senza Bra Fitting Bus is a cerise pink Routemaster-style bus with luxurious bra fitting rooms on the top floor and a glamorous La Senza boutique, complete with our most popular bra styles, fully transactional tills and banquettes to relax on downstairs.
The bus will be launched at Lakeside Shopping Centre on 12th September and will remain at the Shopping Centre until Sunday 14th September when it embarks on the next stage of a nationwide tour of shopping centres, in the run up to Christmas.
As well as receiving a free bra fitting and helping a local charity, everyone who boards the La Senza Bra Fitting Bus will receive great discounts to spend in store and the chance to win a year's supply of lingerie!


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Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has been temporarily barred from selling goods in India's smart phone market following a patent dispute with telecoms business Ericsson.
The Delhi High Court halted any sales of Xiaomi smart phones in India until February next year, following a complaint by Swedish company Ericsson, which claimed Xiaomi infringed eight of its patents.
Ericsson had asked Xiaomi to obtain a licence to the patents after claiming the Chinese company’s products infringed patents it owns for the Adaptive Multi Rate, 3G and EDGE technologies.
The Swedish company reportedly wanted a licence before Xiaomi attempted to break into India's smart phone market, but Xiaomi launched its products in the country in July this year.
At issue are standard-essential patents, which have to be licensed on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
The order will be in effect until a hearing begins in February, following the Delhi High Court’s decision on December 8.
A Xiaomi spokesman did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
But, Higo Barra, the company's global vice president, confirmed the sales ban in a Facebook letter.
"As a law abiding company, we are investigating the matter carefully and assessing our legal options," he added.
According to the SpicyIP blog, one factor that could have led to the court's decision was an alleged lack of response by Xiaomi to Ericsson's communications, totalling six since July this year.
From selling its first smart phone in 2011, Xiaomi has become the world's third largest smart phone manufacturer according to research firms Strategy Analytics and IDC.
In a statement, Ericsson said: "Xiaomi continues to refuse to respond in any way regarding a fair licence to Ericsson’s IP on FRAND terms. Ericsson, as a last resort, had to take legal action."


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Verizon Locks in Vice for Mobile-First Video Service
Verizon Communications and Vice Media have struck a multi-year deal that paves the way for Vice to supply digital content for a mobile-first video service that Verizon is planning to launch later this year.
Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but the deal calls for Vice to supply Verizon with original series, shorts, biopics as well as some exclusive content for the new service. The coming “curated selection” of original videos with Vice will span categories such as culture, food, travel and technology.
Vice joins a growing list of programming partners for Verizon’s coming service that includes Scripps Networks Interactive, ACC Digital Network, Campus Insiders, CBS Sports, ESPN, 120 Sports and AwesomenessTV.
For the full story go to Multichannel.com.
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All-Electric MINI Cooper Begins Its Testing in the Arctic Circle
Spy photographers have caught the Mini Cooper E testing for the first time.
First previewed by the MINI Electric Concept last year, the production model is expected to go on sale in 2019, as a 2020 model year in the U.S. The British automaker has confirmed it will use the three-door Hardtop bodystyle, and it should offer a range of at least 200 miles on a single charge. Expect it to ride on a version of BMW’s UKL platform, with final assembly taking place in Oxford, England where the standard Hardtop models are built.
The electric powertrain will be supplied by parent company BMW, which has invested heavily into electrification with its i sub-brand.
Although the prototype looks mostly like the existing MINI Cooper, expect to see some different styling elements for the production model to set it apart. The concept featured bright yellow accents, which were inspired by the MINI E, the company’s first entry in the EV market.
Discuss this story on our MINI Forum


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Sprint Makes iDEN - CDMA Walkie Talkie Call
Jul 23, 2007, 6:51 PM by (staff)
Sprint last week completed its first successful walkie talkie call between an iDEN and a CDMA phone. A spokeswoman has confirmed that test was an important advancement in Sprint's efforts to launch walkie talkie service using its Revision A CDMA network. The carrier intends to launch a service that both works like and is compatible with iDEN walkie talkie servies over its mobile broadband network in 2008.
This forum is closed.


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Sustainability leader ecostore has achieved B Corporation Certification for its Australasian operations, which took over two years to achieve.
The New Zealand-based company is constantly innovating to reduce its environmental impact, from biodegradable ingredients to carbonzero certified manufacturing, plastic made from sugar cane, launching its own plastic return programme and creating over 200 refill stations to reduce plastic consumption.
Australia’s general manager Steve Messina says now more than ever, ecostore sees the need to do even more, especially in the face of critical events such as the pandemic and the ever-increasing impact of climate change. He says this accreditation represents the highest independent standard that organisations like ecostore can achieve to demonstrate to customers, consumers and partners alike that ecostore does all it can to make the world a better place.
“By achieving B Corp certification, not only does the planet benefit, but ecostore will be more resilient and future-proofed. The ethical, environmental and better for you trends have continued to grow in recent years... we need more organisations to drive this agenda. However, it’s important that consumers can trust that the brands that they buy meet the highest ethical and sustainability standards and feel good about that choice. We believe this accreditation will help set us apart from other organisations that are also active in this space,” he said.
The foundations of the ecostore business have always centred around putting people and planet ahead of profit, with an emphasis on social wealth creation and environmental responsibility, making the world a safer place, putting people’s health first and giving consumers the choice of products without nasty chemicals.
It's three key sustainability priorities in Australia are to (1) reduce the carbon footprint of their operations and increase the use of renewables and offsets, (2) empower Australia’s circular economy; and (3) enhance sustainability by making a public commitment to work towards ambitious targets of 100 per cent of plastic packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2023.
Ecostore is already reducing its carbon footprint and plans to do more. Its manufacturing site has been Carbonzero certified since 2010, and in 2019 the company expanded this to cover all other New Zealand and Australia locations where it operates. It has offset greenhouse gas emissions from all of its associated Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) emission sources as well as the emissions from the transport of its goods to all delivery channels in NZ and up to the point of distribution abroad.
“Our emissions are offset through a portfolio of international projects which either reduce or avoid the production of emissions, while also supporting sustainable development,” said Messina, confirm that the company's current portfolio includes Gyapa cook stoves in Ghana, and solar and wind projects in India.
Expanding on ecostore's plans to empower the circular economy, Messina said, “[The plastic waste crisis] requires us to move toward a circular economy, that’s why we are eliminating plastic where we can, by introducing innovations such as the recent launch of our plastic free hair care bars, and trialling reuse solutions like our refill stations and where there are no plastic-free solutions we are using the best plastic we possibly can ie. a mix of recycled and sugar plastic.”
Highlighting the company's intention to enhance sustainability, Messina says that ecostore plans to have 100 per cent of its bottles made from renewable or recycled content by 2025 and move from single-use to reuse by selling more bulk packs (via refill stations and consumer purchase) over five years.
“All of this by signing up to A Line in the Sand, the New Zealand plastic Packaging Declaration and the ANZPAC Plastic Pact. We believe it's important to make such a public commitment, as it serves as a means of holding ourselves to account in helping make a difference. The crisis that we're facing as a society is so significant, that we also hope that our commitment will inspire others to follow,” he said.
In a Covid-19 world, ecostore has been driven by its socially-responsible and purpose-led fundamentals, prioritising activities that benefit affected communities and the holistic future of the planet.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, ecostore has donated over $600,000 worth of stock to Foodbank, Children’s Ground, Second Bite, St Kilda Mums, The Happy Boxes Project and The Beauty Bank. Its most recent donation was $70,000 worth of stock to Share the Dignity, Sister Works, Kids First and the Happy Box Project.
“We saw a significant spike in demand when Covid-19 hit in early 2020 and 2021 has continued to cycle that strong growth from last year, YTD by an estimated 12%. The team is working hard to optimise our plans and spread the brand’s positive message of delivering highly efficacious eco-friendly products to as many consumers as we can. As a result, we’re always working to secure more listings in new retail channels, launch meaningful innovation and communicate what we stand for through marketing messaging. We’ve got some exciting stuff coming up in these areas so stay tuned," added Messina.


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Wall Street report: Wed close
AN early rally in Blue-chips fizzled as Sun Microsystems warmed up techs.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which had dropped more than 400 points in the previous two sessions, surrendered an early gain to close lower by 46.84 points or 0.51% to 9,075.14. The Nasdaq Index, down more than 5% this week, clawed back 22.79 points or 1.37% to 1,690.20, roughly where it stood on the day before aircraft ploughed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre.
Washington helped spark the early re-bound when it reported that the Gross Domestic Product fell 0.4% in the June to September quarter, less than the 1% slide economists had expected. The extent of the decline, the first in eight years, suggested that the US economy might not be in as as much trouble as feared. The US economy had grown 0.3% in the second quarter.
Sun Microsystems, the networking computer giant, helped fire up the tech sector when it said its orders were running ahead of levels of a year ago. The surprising disclosure sent Sun Microsystems shares jumping 61 cents or 6.4% to $10.15. Other tech leaders went along for the ride in the early going, but some had surrendered all their gains by the close. Intel finished the day ahead 88 cents or 3.7% to $24.42, Microsoft slid 73 cents or 1.2% to $58.15, IBM lost 58 cents or 0.5% to $108.07 and Cisco Systems held on to a gain of 35 cents or 2.1% to $16.92.
But some analysts were wary about the rally, given that it was based in part on preliminary economic figures which are often radically revised at a later date. 'I'm not sure this rally has legs,' said veteran market analyst Art Cashin of UBS PaineWebber. 'With all the geopolitics and heightened alerts, people aren't buying them with both hands.'
A big tech loser was Adobe Systems, which makes computer publishing software. Its shares tumbled $2.35 or 8.2% to $26.40 as it said it was cutting 150 jobs or 5% of its workforce to cope with the downturn. NextCard, the online credit card company, plummeted $4.48 or 84% to 87 cents after it said it was undercapitalised and looking for a buyer after booking significant credit losses. NextCard shares were trading at $53 in late 1999.
Qwest Communications, the fourth biggest local telephone company, shed $3.05 or 19% to $12.95 on a dimming profit outlook. Eastman Kodak tumbled $2.23 or 8% to $25.27 as Moody's lowered the photographic company's debt rating. Lockheed Martin, which won the $200bn. (138bn. pound), joint fighter jet project from the Pentagon last week, tacked on 77 cents or 1.6% to $48.77.
Ford firmed 15 cents or 0.9% to $16.05 a day after it replaced its chief executive officer and indicated it would launch an overhaul of its operations. Among Dow components, Walt Disney rose 43 cents or 2.4% to $18.59, Wal-Mart added 80 cents or 1.6% to $51.40 and Honeywell rose 85 cents or 3% to $29.55.
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Downtown Hospitality Night Thursday
Downtown merchants invite the community into their stores during Downtown Hospitality Night on Thursday, Dec. 10, from 5-8 p.m.
For many years, merchants have provided holiday-themed refreshments, live music and one-night only specials to the community on this night.
“The retailers really celebrate the spirit of the Holidays on this evening,” stated Kirsten Guenther, Downtown Enhancement Administrator, in a press release. “You will see soup, hors d’oeuvres, Christmas cookies and much more at the participating retail stores. The retailers enjoy this evening; it gives them the opportunity to visit with their customers, and thank them for the past year.”
Read more HERE in Wednesday's Tribune.


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Keep an eye on Abbe
Keep an eye out for Abbe Sweetman, 14, from Sapphire Beach. Our local girl has been selected as a finalist in the search for the face of Moda Management. Next year she will compete against five other young beauties for the title and she stands to win a model contract for two years and the opportunity to work with Sydney's leading fashion players. Abbe never imagined she would be a finalist in the competition and she said she can't wait to take part in the next stage. In addition to the model contract next year's model winner receives $5000 worth of Style Academy professional modelling training, a photographic shoot with one of Australia's leading fashion photographers, $1000 worth of fashion wear, and $2000 worth of cosmetic products. Moda CEO, Nielson Taione, said Abbe had a fresh look and a good chance of becoming the face of the year. Abbe will feature in the February issue of Dolly Magazine which goes on sale later this month.


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We’ve seen plenty of leaked parts for the iPhone 5S, but the latest batch might be the most important yet. Images published by MacRumors suggest that Apple is indeed upgrading from an A6 chip to an A7 chip in the iPhone 5S.
The site noticed a new marking of APL0698 on the processor, which seems to be an upgrade from the APL0598 marking on the iPhone 5 A6 processor. That’s not too surprising, since we’re expecting a faster processor than what’s in the iPhone 5. What is interesting, however, is that the chip appears to be manufactured by someone other than Samsung.
MacRumors spoke to two members of the team at Chipworks who noticed that the A7 chip identifier is K1A0062, but identifiers on chips made by Samsung and provided to Apple typically start with the letter “N.” It’s not confirmed yet, but the change in identifier suggests that perhaps Apple is already moving its business away from Samsung and toward Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) — though that partnership wasn’t expected to begin so immediately.
The prototype—which also features a dual-LED camera flash—was allegedly built in December 2012, which means it’s very possible for a lot of components to have changed by this point. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5S sometime between now and the fall.
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Paris – Station F, which will open in April, is designed to create an entire start-up eco-system under one roof.
Originally a railway station, the space has been converted into a big start-up hub. The site plans to house more than 3,000 desks, over 10 international start-up programmes and a variety of events spaces and private offices. In 2018, Station F also plans to open a new co-living space to accommodate 600 entrepreneurs.
‘Our goal with Station F is not only to create the largest start-up campus in the world, but also to create a space that houses an entire start-up eco-system under one roof,’ said Roxanne Varza, director of Station F, in a recent statement.
Facebook will be hosting its first start-up incubator, the Startup Garage, as part of the space. Working with 10–15 start-ups, Facebook wants to empower data-driven businesses to develop in new and innovative ways.
With the introduction of huge co-working spaces, brands such as Facebook are working with these initiatives to invest in future businesses and enable long-term thinking. For more, see The Immortal Brand macrotrend.


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Confident Mitsubishi UK builds on strong 2014 sales with new five-year warranty
MITSUBISHI Motors in the UK was one of 2014’s strongest performers, according to year-end sales results released by the SMMT today.
The company has seen sales growth in passenger cars of 75 per cent compared with the previous year, against an overall market up by 9.3 per cent.
Building on this success and with a strong line-up of new product introductions over the next 12 months, the company has launched a five-year warranty across all of its models.
From 1 January 2015, all Mitsubishi cars and commercial vehicles will come with a fully comprehensive five-year warranty package as standard. In addition, models come with a three-year, pan-European roadside assistance package – MAP (Mitsubishi Assistance Package).
Mitsubishi Motors in the UK’s Managing Director, Lance Bradley, said: “We have made impressive and sustainable progress during 2014, and have even broken some records with the launch of the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle. The launch of our across-the-range five-year warranty lays the foundation for a series of exciting new product introductions in 2015.”
The Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in electric vehicle has been the major highlight of the UK car market in 2014. Its introduction has transformed the plug-in market, which it now leads by a significant margin, accounting for nearly half of all FYTD sales.
Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) has an all-electric range of up to 32.5 miles and phenomenal economy and environmental credentials. It emits just 44g/km of CO2 and the official combined fuel consumption figure is 148mpg.
Mitsubishi’s iconic L200 pick-up truck outperformed its sector, with increased sales of 17.4 per cent against a market up by 15 per cent. The company’s ASX model increased sales by 54.4 per cent. Both the Shogun and diesel Outlander also posted positive increases, up 66.3 per cent and 10.1 per cent respectively.
Pictured above is Mitsubishi’s best-value L200 ever – The Challenger – which was launched on 1 January 2015


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FDA Provides Update on Added Sugar Labeling for Honey and Maple Syrup
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb issued a statement providing an update on how mandated added-sugar labeling will affect honey and maple syrup. “We recognized that this new labeling information on ‘packaged as such’ products may inadvertently lead consumers to think their pure products, such as a jar of honey or maple syrup, may actually contain added table sugar or corn syrup because there are ‘added sugars’ listed on the label,” Gottlieb notes. FDA previously proposed the use of an additional disclosure for honey and maple syrup products, but “the more than 3,000 comments we received on the draft guidance indicate that there are further opportunities to update our proposed approach,” according to the press release.
Gottlieb indicated that final guidance will be released in 2019. “This guidance will provide a path forward for pure, single-ingredient ‘packaged as such’ products that does not involve the standard ‘added sugars’ declaration on the Nutrition Facts label. We are not considering changes to the required percent daily value for these products, including for products like pure honey and maple syrup. We believe that such a solution strikes the balance of addressing producer concerns that their products could be perceived as being economically adulterated while still informing consumers on how these products contribute to their daily added sugar intake.”